Power a plenty: Corvettes Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray

The Chevrolet Corvette is an icon of American motoring, with a rich legacy of performance, innovation, and racing heritage. Yet the brand is little known in New Zealand due to the previous lack of right-hand drive. But that’s changed now with the whole Corvette lineup s—the Stingray, the Z06, and the new E-Ray—each offering blistering performance and a thrilling experience, all suited for New Zealand roads.. 

GM wants to make a splash in this area and the way they did it was epic…Fly a bunch of journalists from around New Zealand and Australia to the Sandown race track in Melbourne to get up close and personal with all three models and put them through their full throttle paces.  You know GM is taking the region seriously when virtually the entire senior team are onsite for the whole day. We were treated to hearing from the design and engineering team spread across the USA and in person.

The Stingray represents the accessible entry point into the Corvette family, delivering supercar performance with daily usability. Powered by a mid-engine 6.2-liter V8 producing 369 kw, the Stingray offers a blend of power and practicality. Its mid-engine layout not only enhances performance and handling but also facilitates a no-compromise right-hand drive configuration.

A road test of the Stingray in Melbourne enabled me to get back into the car I recently reviewed… so it’s not the first time I’ve driven this car, and I’m quickly reminded what a brilliant everyday, practical supercar this thing is. Fun, easy to drive, point like a scalpel. It’s a real pleasure.  With the hard top version that I’m driving, you get a beautiful view of the engine through the rear window and from the down view, and it carries over a lot of the design language that’s shared across the car with the gear selectors and other. As we are driving, we have pretty much everyone looking at us, and it’s no surprise—the car is gorgeous by default.

The Z06 is the ultimate track Corvette option. At its core lies the LT6 engine, a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft, capable of revving up to 8,600 rpm. This is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 ever placed in a production car, delivering 475kW and 595 Nm, GM claims the Z06 can complete the zero-to-100km/h sprint in just 3.0 seconds.

Featuring a wider body than the Stingray to accommodate vast 345-mm rear tires, you can go further with the Z07 pack that adds carbon-ceramic brakes, Michelin Sport Cup 2 tires, and a track-focused suspension setup, plus additional aerodynamic components, such as a rear wing and front dive planes, for significantly increased downforce.

Carbon-fibre wheels, manufactured by Australia’s Carbon Revolution, offer a reduction of 20 kilograms in unsprung mass, improving handling and responsiveness. The Z06’s design and engineering are closely linked to Corvette’s racing success, sharing technology and components with the Z06 GT3.R race car.

The driving experience is visceral. The high revving V8 is such a free spinning mill that you can really let loose on a circuit. I drove the confusingly named Z07 version of the Z06 and the additional downforce keeps you so planted through corners that your overall stability, and traction take a leap,  confidence increases, you eat up the curbs with the Australian built Carbon Rev rims, and no surprises, you go faster. It’s got that raw race vibe that lets you know it’s a track car. It oozes feel and responsiveness in a way I have scarcely felt in a road legal car.

The E-Ray is the first electrified, and the first all-wheel-drive Corvette. It combines the Stingray’s 6.2 V8 engine to the rear with an electric motor driving the front. Running in parallel this makes for a serious performance package. Total power is a staggering 488kW and 806Nm and a quoted sprint of 2.9 seconds. 

Electrification provides instantaneous torque up front, enhancing acceleration and traction, handy in challenging driving conditions. This setup enables the E-Ray to achieve remarkable straight-line performance, with rapid acceleration from a standstill due to the immediate torque availability. ‘Stealth Mode’ allows for pure electric driving at low speeds – like when you leave home for an early flight and don’t want to wake the family.

The driving experience is of course stunningly fast with the four wheel drive giving an edge on traction. Supposedly this car is even faster than the Z06 on the straight. Slightly less race tuned than the Z06, yet more power and more traction available. It’s a very impressive achievement for Corvette to create a car such as this comma so potent yet pliable. GM call it the ‘Swiss Army knife’ Corvette. That’s fair as it can do so many things so very well.

All three models draw from Corvette’s extensive racing heritage, which has significantly influenced their design and engineering. In 2023, Corvette achieved notable success winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and securing the World Endurance Championship. This accomplishment underscores the brand’s commitment to excellence on the global stage and the global push with models to suit the whole world.

Each model features a customizable driver mode selector, allowing for adjustments to engine response, suspension settings, steering feel, and exhaust sound levels. This level of control enables drivers to tailor the vehicle’s characteristics to their preferences and driving conditions.

Customization plays a significant role in the line’s appeal. Customers can select from a wide array of exterior colours, interior trims, seat designs, and even seatbelt colours, allowing them to tailor the vehicle to their personal tastes. 

Additionally, the Performance Data Recorder provides an in-depth analysis of driving performance, which is particularly valuable for track enthusiasts seeking to improve their skills. This feature records video and telemetry data, offering insights into lap times, braking points, and acceleration patterns. Note: I drove all these cars; they comfortably beat the manufacturer’s sprint claims! 

The current Corvette lineup offers a range of models that cater to different aspects of performance and driving enjoyment. I for one am pleased that the Corvette continues to evolve, embracing new technologies and pushing the boundaries of what an accessible sports car can be, all while remaining truly iconic.